New here, considering getting my CDL.

Smart move. This is not an easy industry, nor one that will net you a million dollars. It is hard work, long hours, with little pay, benefits, or pride anymore. These days the trucking industry has Big Brother so far up their wasu with such things as ELD's, Hours of Service issues with the government, CSA, D.O.T and yearly FMCSA road checks every year trying to collect revenue. Let alone the new standard of the Fed Med card issue. Being a trucker in years past (like the 60's to the early 80's ) was a glorious job. Than the S.H.T.F in the industry. Working at McDonalds is more glorious, and when your kids friends ask what their daddy does for a living. They do not have to lie, about your profession, or be disgraced to to the truth.

 

You must have good reason to feel that way. It never affected me that way and didn't affect my children that way either. Everyone's life experiences are different. All my children are college or university graduates, except the two youngest because they're not even in high school yet. Maybe I'm just lucky and hard headed enough to make it work in a positive way.

 

I agree, I never felt ashamed of what I did, especially when I got my own trucks. McDonald's is a great place for young ( or old) to work, my son's 1st job, but it's far from glorious. I lived the American dream BECAUSE I drove a truck. I doubt someone at McDonald's can say that.

 

Hear hear. I had three in a day once.

Then again in one employer been fired as if D.O.G. did the firing then called up hey *&^% yer LATE!!! Whar is my &^%$ TRUCK! heh. I actually still have a standing job with that particular man and his *&^% truck.

 

I worked a long john silvers once for three months in the evening doing dishes up to elbows in soap and water. It was worth a thousand dollars to get a start once i flew out of Baltimore to Charlotte for orientation. Unfortunately I left behind a gal... sometimes I wonder about things like that. But not too much. You cannot.

Good luck!

 

I have been in this industry long enough to have seen the major changes. We as truck drivers were the Knights of the Road. I hear people all the time in the last twenty years talking about how uneducated, overweight, unclean, and such comments that were never a topic from any are of the public in the 60's, 70's and early 80's. Than something in this industry changed as to the drivers morals, ethics, society, or what ever happened, but it was not a good change. Every aspect of the industry has changed, not just the drivers. But we are the ones out here and are the image of our own industry. If i seen some man/woman pull into my place of business in dirty clothes, ripped up or holes in their jeans, they open the door and a ton of trash is piled up on the dash, floorboard, language was foul, and such images perceived by the public. tell me this does not invoke an negative image, and we all get stereotyped though you may not hear it, or may not be one of those drivers.

 

When I started 37 years ago there weren't many women running single much less o/o. It wasn't easy. The men let me know they didn't like me being out here but for the most part they weren't vulgar like they are now. I've never gotten used to that treatment. We have ALL paid a price to be in this industry some paid a bigger price than others, some are still paying and will be until they die. Would I change anything, no. I love what I do, it makes me happy and I'm thrilled to get up every day to see what happens. I've tried to present a good image and do a job that I have been proud of very day. When I stop doing that is when I'll retire.

 

Rare breeds whom were trucking in the years when D.O.T and Government were allowed to dictate every aspect of our industry. In today's trucking regulations and the issues formed by the safety advocate groups. They may as well put a D.O.T officer in the jump seat. This is why all my trucks are pre 2000 so no ELD for me, nor will i ever have speed limiters on my trucks.

 

I have it better than most, as i own my trucks, and run my own product (cattle). So i have less regulations than others.